Montgomery considers trash collection reduction to solve budget shortfall

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - The city of Montgomery is expected to hold budget meetings next week to try and solve a $7 to $8 million dollar shortfall.

During the mayor's weekly meeting Thursday, city officials said they were trying to think of ways to balance the budget. The primary idea is to either eliminate a day of trash pick-up or to charge more for the current services.

Currently, the city has three trash pickup days a week. The proposal would reduce the number of days to two a week.

In order to keep the number of days the garbage is currently picked up, it could be a $5 to $6 a month increase for collection services. This city feels reducing the number of pickup days is a better alternative to a potential increase.

"This also gives us a lot more flexibility to get the debris," Mayor Todd Strange said. "Over the last month or two, we have had some significant wind storms and some other opportunities to put debris in your yards and on your streets and it all gets stacked up out front. Well if you're going two days a week for garbage and one day a week for debris, you don't have a lot of flexibility to get that debris. This (reduction in days) will allow us to have more flexibility to ramp up and get the debris."

According to city officials, along with the meetings, there will be a public hearing on the budget on Aug. 23.

Officials say they do not expect any layoffs of personnel, only minor adjustments to help balance the budget.

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